One-piece plastic ignition harness for gasoline engines



W. R. N EWMAN ONE-PIECE PLA FOR GA STIC IGNITION HARNESS SOLINE ENGINES 2 Sheets-Sheet l n INVENTOR. 0d/am Q/Vezwfza/Z ATI'U RN EYB Nov. 15, 1949 Filed March 21, 1947 Nov. 15, 1949 w. R. NEWMAN 2,488096 ONE-PIECE PLASTIC IGNITION HARNESS Fon GAsoLINE -ENGINES Filed March 2l, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /G. :i 2s /7 INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. 15,A` 1949 fg A UNITED ASTATES PATENT i OFFICEl ONE-PIECE PLASTIC IGNITION HARNESS ,l FOB, GASOLINE ENGINES A William'R. Newman, Austin, Tex. Applieation March 21, 1941, serial No. 736,221

1 Claim. l

This invention relates to a one piece plastic ignition harness for gasoline engines.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a neat ignition arrangement for a gasoline engine wherein there will be no exposed wires and whereby the ignition System will be made waterproof and not eiected by heat, oil or grease and wherein to eliminate replacements due to the fact that the wires have been subject to wear, deterioration and vibration.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an ignition system which can be assembled at the factory and wherein the wiring will be installed with less chance of there being an error made and wherein the ignition wiring can be installed with less time and labor and further to provide an ignition system which cannot be so readily tampered with.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the ignition harness embodying the features of the present invention with portions of the same broken away to show the interior of the same.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows thereof.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the harness taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the distributor and the portion of the harness extended over the same with portions broken away to show the interior of the harness.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary and cross-sectional view taken of one of the connections with the spark plug.

Fig. '7 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on line 'I-l of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the figures, I8 represents a gasoline engine having spark plugs II disposed thereon. Wires I2 are to extend from a distributor I3 for connection with the spark plugs II. According to the present invention, these wires I2 and their terminals I3 are embedded in solid molded plastic with the terminals being at the proper spacings so that they will be seated simul-A taneously upon the upper ends of the spark plugs II. Clips I4 are disposed inside of the terminals I3 to obtain perfect contact with the upper ends of the plugs. These clips I4 and wires I2 are (Cl. 12S-143) 2 Y soldered to the terminals I3' as indicated by soldering material I5, Fig. 6.

The plastic body is formed of a longitudinally extending portion I6 which carries the wires I2 over the spark plugs and a central portion I1 containing the wires and extending laterally and downwardly for connection with distributor I3. The portion I1 provides a handle by which the plastic harness can be fitted onto the spark plugs and onto the distributor I3. The lower end of the portion Il has a rounded part I8 with a recess I9 extending upwardly from its bottom and into which the distributor arm 2I extends. Wires I2 lead into the recess and have terminals 22 thereon extending from the bottom of the recess I9. In the same manner a high tension lead in Wire 23 has a terminal 24 embedded in the material for contact with the center of the distributing arm 2|.

In order that the distributor I3 can be rotated to the proper timing setting relative to the terminals 22, there is provided an adaptor 25 adapted to iit within the recess and which has terminals 26 thereon connected for engagement with the terminals 22 of the wires I2. The adaptor is secured to the distributor I3 by spring clips 21 fastened over a shoulder portion 28 on the adaptor. The adaptor has an external groove 29 into which ball bearings are inserted from an opening 3| in the rounded part I8 of the harness and are retained within this opening 3I by a plug 32 when a suii'icient number of these bearings have been disposed within the groove 23. These bearings are indicated at 33. The adaptor is allowed to revolve with the distributor a limited amount while still completing the circuit through the terminals of the adaptor and wires I2 without eiecting the plastic harness. A complementary groove 35 is provided in the rounded portion I8 and in the interior wall thereof for receiving the ball bearing 33.

In order to x the longitudinally extending portion I6 of the plastic body to the cylinder head.'

there are molded into the portion a plurality of depending clips 36, Fig. 2, which are secured to the cylinder head by a wing headed screw 31.

A terminal 38 is embedded in the center of the adaptor 25 for engagement with the terminal 24 of the high tension wire 23.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present inventionY as defined by the arp-.-V

pended claim.

ally extending curved portion shaped to provide a handle for said harness and having at its lower end a rounded part with a depending recess therein adapted to t over a distributor-and Antoiwhich the rotating arm of said distributor extendsthe Wires extending through the central 4portion and terminals embedded in the bottom of the recess at circumferentially spaced locations therem 50 as to be engaged by said rotating distributor arm. and a high tension ignition wire embedded Lin the rounded part of said central portion and having a central 'terminal embedded Jin the v4center yof the recess bottom, an adaptor having lelectrical fterminals adapted When the adaptor 1is placed 'the recess to engage with the terminals of the wires of the harness, said adaptor being rotatably adjusted Within the recess to change the timing of the ignition system and adapted to contain the distributor arm, and ball bearing elements disposed between the adaptor and the wall of the recess and positioned in complementary grooves formed therein to retain the adaptor Within the recess and to render the same lmoreeasily adjustable l'therewithin WILLIAM R. NEWMAN.

.le nf this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Zika Sept. 15, 1914 Melton May 17, 1921 Mattl'iew et Val fNov. 20,11928 "Rabezzana 'Jxully 28, `1936 Number 

